Kingdom Hearts: The Council of Keys: Book 1
by cairparavel95
Summary: Twenty years after Sora defeats Xemnas, Axel, his son, attempts to save the lives of the members of the C.o.K., an organization dedicated to purging the universe of the Heartless, especially the life of Lior. Rated T : Action, minimal light romance
1. Prelude

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or anything related to it.

Prelude

Twenty years have passed since Sora defeated Xemnas, bringing an end to Organization XIII. Shortly after the final battle, Sora, along with King Mickey and Riku, founded the Council of Keys, or the C.o.K. The Council's purpose was to purge the worlds of the Heartless that remained. An impossible task for three keyblade wielders, they began to scour the galaxy for others capable of brandishing the power of the keys. Their first recruit was found not far off, but close to home: Kairi. Sora trained her how to use her keyblade and her skills heightened greatly.

Another giant step was taken for Sora around the fifth year. He asked Kairi to marry him. She said yes, and one month later they were married on the sandy shores of Destiny Islands by the light of the sunset.

About nine months later, their first child was born, a son. They decided to name him Axel, since he gave his life to save Sora. Axel grew into a strong young man and inherited the ability to wield the keyblade.

By the time Axel was ready to join the C.o.K., there were around fifteen other members working to destroy the remaining Heartless. Around his tenth day with the C.o.K. Axel was sent to the world Disney Castle to meet with the King. This is where our story picks up. A fifteen year old Axel is traveling in a gummi ship to Disney Castle with his thirty-five year old father, Sora.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

'Who knew space could be so exciting?' I thought to myself. 'I always figured it was just a big black open… well, space.' I was thoroughly enjoying this trip to see the King. My only complaint: "This ship is _way_ to small!" I said aloud to my dad for about twentieth time. Every time his answer was the same. He would say something like, "When I was your age, I had to share a gummi ship this size with three people. As it stands, I only count two." Then he would turn his attention back to flying the ship.

Let me try and give you a picture of how small this ship is. Let's see… if your legs are tired and you want to stretch. Forget it. You can't even raise your hand without bumping into something or someone. Seating for two? _What_-EVER!!! The designers must have made this ship for chipmunks! I'm practically sitting on my dad's lap! Oh, and one more thing: There's no bathroom! This isn't exactly a short trip either.

So here I am. Flying through space, which is still amazing by the way, in a too-small ship with no bathroom. I was upset, but I tried not to show it. I'm pretty good at that when I want to be. My dad turned to me as if he were going to say something and then turned his attention back to driving. "You know Axel," My dad began, "This trip to see the King isn't a pleasure trip. You will be introduced to the king and then you will be put through a series of trials to see if you can handle yourself against the Heartless." Just because I listened intently doesn't mean that you have to, but if you must know, I'll summarize it for you.

Apparently, there was no room for error whenever the trials came. My dad informed me that the trials weren't easy, but they also weren't hard and that I should be able to pass them with flying colors. After the trials were done, there would be some sort of ceremony where I was awarded a seat in the C.o.K.'s chamber where they discussed all of their moves. Where to send people and stuff, I guess.

By the time my dad had finished informing me of the trials ahead, we had arrived at the castle. We were met by two familiar faces: Donald and Goofy. Dad jumped out of the ship and ran over to greet them. "It's been to long, my old friends." I heard him say. After catching up with them, my dad turned the attention to me. The two man welcoming committee came over to me to welcome me. They kept going on about how much I looked like my dad, also commenting on how I had my mother's hair. I guess I kind of did. It was kind of a redish-brown color. I usually wore it spiked straight up, just like Roxas, or so my dad tells me. I'm about the same height as my dad was when he was fifteen and I ended up with the same toothpick muscle build. At least I've got a better fashion sense than he did. Black jeans, combat boots, and a dark grey shirt underneath a black jacket. That's what I call fashion.

After finishing their comments on my appearance, Donald and Goofy escorted me through the town towards the castle. The town seemed huge! There were people selling good all over, kind of like a marketplace. All of the houses looked like something out of a fairytale, almost like miniature castles themselves. Of course, that could be why they call this world Disney Castle. The town wasn't overly packed with people, but there were enough people who lived there to make it _not_ seem like a ghost town.

After a tour of the town, we made our way to the castle gates. The gardens outside of the castle were amazing to behold. The hedge bushes were trimmed into the shapes of the leaders from the different world. Behind each hedge there were gardens with plants from the leader's world. There were plants from anywhere between grass from the savannah and sea anemones.

Upon approaching the castle, dad saw King Mickey who came hurrying towards him. Mickey held out his hand and my dad shook it. After talking with my dad for a bit, he turned to me and I bowed to him. "Are you ready for the trials?" the King asked me. I nodded and he proceeded to show me to the training grounds. I wore a broad smile on my face. If this was anything like I expected, then it was going to be fun.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Remember that last remark about how much fun this was going to be? I was right! The trials turned out to be more like a tournament and less like boot camp. The prize for the top three? Seats in the C.o.K. Chamber.

I blew through my first few opponents, making it all the way to the final, or "elite" if you will, eight. Things got a little tougher here, but not much. I mean, come on! I've got the original keyblade master as my teacher! Of course I'm gonna smear everyone into the ground!

The crowd in the arena began to grow as we neared the end of the tournament. One could feel the anticipation in the air. People began to chant the name of their favorite combatant. My name was cheered loudest over all. The cheers of the onlookers could almost make one deaf.

Now I was in the semifinals. The cobblestone beneath my feet was already beginning to wear down from some of the fierce battles that had taken place before. I approached my opponent who was already standing in the middle of the arena, waiting for me. He was about average height and had shoulder length black hair. His build was much more muscular than my own and he looked like a fierce combatant.

I reached out my hand to wish him luck and he stared at it. Annoyed, I made up my mind to completely embarrass him in front of this crowd. When we summoned our keyblades to our hands, the kingdom key appeared in mine, but in his, a key shrouded in darkness appeared. It looked as though Hades from the Olympic Coliseum had given it to him.

The fight began and I quickly discovered that I was not invincible. He landed a few blows on me and on one occasion sent me flailing across the arena. Now I came at him with a vengeance. I issued three consecutive blows at him, each of which found its mark.

Now he was beginning to breath heavily. I allowed a slight smile to cross my face and came at him again. We fought for much longer than I expected to and I soon enraged him. He swung his keyblade at me so hard that it made me slide across the cobblestone. Now pointed his key at me and a ball of fire was discharged towards me. I quickly rolled out of its path, but it followed me. I kept running and rolling until the fire finally dissipated.

At this time, King Mickey came out onto the field and halted the fight. I stood up and dismissed my keyblade. I was enraged. If there was one thing that you weren't allowed to do in the trials, it was use magic. I soon found out that my opponent was dismissed from the competition and I would move on to the final round which would take place tomorrow afternoon. 'He better hope that he can find a ride off world today. 'Cause I'm gonna have a word with him if he's still around after the fight tomorrow.'

* * *

Tomorrow came faster than expected. Once again we were all in the stadium with the deafening roar of the crowd who was, once again, cheering for their favorite combatant. I was feeling excitement. At this point, it was just a fight to see who gets a higher seat. I was already guaranteed a place, but I wanted to be placed high.

I strolled out to the center of the arena, waving to the crowd as a went. My opponent stood in the middle. I couldn't see what his face looked like because of all the armor he was wearing. As I approached, it was he who held out his hand. I shook it, glad that this wouldn't be a repeat of yesterday.

The call to summon our keys was made and we did so. My opponent summoned a key that looked very similar to the key that my opponent yesterday fought with. It had the same shape, but it was radiant with light. It was white with a sort of yellow and blue tint towards the teeth.

We walked away from each other and then turned to face again. The fight began with each of us taking a combat stance. My opponent attacked first with lightning speed and I blocked a series of thrusts and slashes. After studying my opponents attack pattern, I found a slight flaw and utilized it. Catching him off guard, I turned the fight in my favor. I attacked with a balance of speed and power, the way my key was made to be used. This time it was my turn to be taken off guard. As quickly as it had turned to favor me, the battle turned to favor my opponent.

The battle continued in this way for some time, looking as if it would simply be a battle of endurance. We were both winded and the battle was currently in my favor. I unleashed a flurry of attacks and finally landed one on my opponent. From then on, went downhill for him. I landed more blows on him and soon he was on the ground, beaten. After he dismissed his keyblade, I dismissed mine. My opponent stood to his feet and removed hi…. My jaw dropped. That entire…. I fought that hard….. Against…… A girl?! I nearly fell over from the shock.

The King and my dad walked over to me. "Axel, we'd like you to meet Lior." I put my hand on the back of my head and I felt my cheeks turn red. "H-hi." I managed to get out. She was beautiful. She had shoulder length blonde hair and a smile that was so bright, it could make a Darkside go into hiding. "Good fight." I said without stuttering. She held out her hand and I shook it. "I don't think I caught your name." She said to me. "I-I'm Axel, Sora's son." We talked together for a while longer before heading off to the swearing in ceremony and even then we walked together. I smiled to myself. Life was good.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A note to the reader: life was about to get very bad. The inception was interrupted by none other than the mister-black-keyblade-wielding-disqualified….guy……anyway, it wasn't a pleasant surprise. And guess what he brought with him! An army of Heartless! I knew this guy was bad news from the very beginning. 

"Keyblade wielders," The disqualified combatant began, "Your time is up! The Heartless will reign in this land with me as their king!" 

"Not so fast, Cethin!" I looked around to see if I could find out who had said it. The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. Lior stepped forward from the crowd with her keyblade in hand. 

"Ah, Lior. Are you finally ready to join me?" Cethin said as he held out his hand towards her with a twisted smile on his face. 

"Only if you're ready to turn your back on the darkness!" She replied. Cethin's expression turned into a scowl. 

"Fine… You shall die with the others!" Cethin charged forward with his keyblade ready to attack. 

The battle that ensued was fierce and it ended nearly as quickly as it began. Lior now knelt on the ground with her keyblade next to her. I ran to her side with my keyblade in hand. She put her hand on my back. "No, Axel. This is my fight." Lior said. I turned my head to her. "There's no way I'm letting you go out here." Cethin laughed a dark laugh. "I would applaud such bravery, but I'm not in a very "light" hearted mood, if you catch my drift," Cethin pointed his key at me, "In fact, I'm feeling rather dark!" Cethin launched a dark orb at me. I stood my ground. Lior was not going to die here. Not now at least. The orb made contact with me and it began to enshroud me in darkness. My breathing began to slow and I felt cold. The darkness soon began to cover my vision. If this is what death feels like, I'm glad I don't have to experience it twice. After a few minutes of this, I blacked out completely. 

* * *

"Wake up, young keyblade master." Was that a voice? Or am I imagining things? There was silence for what seemed like an eternity. "Wake up." It was definitely a voice. I looked around to see where it was coming from. All I could see was white light. The light began to fade and the voice became clearer. "Wake up, you've been sleeping for weeks."

I opened my eyes all the way and looked around the room. I saw an old man standing over me. I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. "You are still tired," The man said, "Return to the land of sleep." I shook my head and tried hard to sit up. I did, and instantly I felt myself become dizzy. After the dizziness passed, I attempted to stand. The last thing I remember before passing out again was the old man coming to my side. 

* * *

I awoke again in what seemed like a few hours. This time, when I stood up I remained fully conscious. I noticed that the old man wasn't inside the house at the time, so I decided to look for him outdoors. 

When I got outside, what I saw was not expected. I was back on Destiny Islands. When I turned around to go back inside the house, I found that it was my own. Things were getting really strange. I went inside my house and looked around. I saw my mom and I ran to her. I held her close and almost began to cry. She hugged me back. "What's the matter?" She said in her loving mom voice. I pulled back from her and looked her in the eye. "Have you heard any news from Disney Castle?" I asked her. A worried look crossed her face. "No, why?" I looked down at the floor and then back up to her. "I think the Council of Keys has been eliminated." I said to her. She fell down onto her chair with a shocked expression on her face. After about fifteen minutes of just sitting there, she went to her room and began to cry. 

Seeing my mom that way made me snap. Fury rose within me. A great hatred for Cethin. He would know the wrath of my blade before my life ended. But how did he come up with an army of Heartless' so large? I thought all of the worlds were sealed. I needed to find answers, but I didn't know where to start. After hours of contemplation, I decided that it would be best to return to Disney Castle to see what had befallen the C.o.K. 

'How in the world am I going to tell mom?' I thought to myself. "She will be fine. She's used to it by now." That voice. It was the voice of that old man. "Who are you?" I asked him in a voice that demanded answers. 

"What you just witnessed was simply your imagination," My house faded and I was back in the old man's residence. "You weren't really on Destiny Islands. You never even spoke to your mother. You were right about one thing, though." 

"What's that?" I asked him eager to leave this place and almost fearful of what he might say.

"You must start your search at Disney Castle. You will find answers there."

"But how will I get there?" 

"My dear boy. You never left."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Whatever was on the other side of this door was not going to be pretty. I was certain that no amount of preparation would ready me for the darkness that lay in wait on the other side. Slowly I turned the door knob as sweat ran down my face. My drive for vengeance outweighed by fear. One last deep breath and I flung open the door and a deep wave of sorrow passed through me. The world that used to be so beautiful, the center of all the worlds, was completely ravaged by darkness.

I turned to look at the old man, but, again, his house had faded. 'Well, he's a lot of help.' I thought to myself. I began to venture through the city. The white cobblestone that made up the majority of the cities structures had been turned black as night. The sky was totally black. It seemed as though there were no sun to provide light and no moon or stars to gaze at.

A new, fresh hatred for Cethin arose in me. I began to run as fast as I could towards the castle. I saw many Heartless' on my way there, but they didn't matter. Nothing mattered now except that my friends and more importantly, my dad, had been killed by this mad man. I had nearly reached the gate when a huge Heartless appeared in my path. "I wish you would just leave me alone!" I screamed as I charged towards the Heartless. I launched myself onto one of its arms and began to make my way towards its head. The Heartless attempted to shake me off, but I held fast. Smaller Heartless's began appearing on his arms and I simply jumped over them I continued on my way and soon reached my target. I thrust my keyblade into the center of its head and launched myself down onto the ground. I watched as the Heartless shrank into the ground and completely disappeared.

Now I was at the doorstep of the castle. Two Neoshadows blocked my way. They wouldn't have been a problem, but I didn't have any time to waste on them. I jumped over their heads and began to run up the face of the castle. I reached a balcony that would allow me to access the throne room. I was certain that Cethin would be there. Vengeance would soon be mine. I rejoiced at the thought of his demise. I pushed the memories of all my pledges to withhold my rage into the back of my mind. Nothing was going to hinder me now.

I entered the throne room to see Cethin standing by the throne with his keyblade in hand. He laughed in his twisted way as I approached him with my own keyblade in my hand.

"Cethin!" I screamed as I approached.

"Ah, if it isn't the son of the keyblade master himself. Have you come to thank me for ridding you of those pesky C.o.K. members? Or do you wish to swear your allegiance to me?"

This, of course, enraged me and I rushed forward to kill him. "I'm going to kill you!" I said as our keyblades met. "Very!" I screamed as I slammed my keyblade against his. "Very! Slowly!!!" His keyblade was knocked from his hand and he fell to the ground. I stalked towards him, prepared to deal the final blow.

At this point, Cethin was smiling, again, in his twisted way. "What if I told you that the C.o.K. was still alive?" I stopped in my steps. "I wouldn't believe you." I replied. Cethin stood up. "Bring in the prisoner!" I kept my key trained on Cethin as the doors to the throne room opened. Two Neoshadows led Lior into the room. I nearly fell over and then I realized that this could be some kind of trick. "No games, Cethin!" I said.

Cethin laughed. "Who's playing games?" He replied, "Bring the prisoner here." He commanded the Heartless'. The Heartless' obeyed willingly, bringing Lior towards Cethin. I stepped in their path and eliminated them quickly. "Lior isn't coming anywhere near you." I said.

"Fine," Cethin said, "I won't set foot near her."

What happened next seemed like a nightmare where my feet were moving to slow. Cethin launched a black orb at Lior, causing her to vanish from my sight. Without even thinking, I thrust my keyblade through his heart. Cethin began to laugh again. The laugh began to get deeper and deeper. "Fool!" He said in a deep demonic voice. Cethin's body fell over limp. I stepped back in shock, simply staring at what was happening before my eyes. A tall man with dark tan skin and pale white hair appeared next to Cethin's body. "Cethin was simply a pawn that I used to get to you." The newcomer said, "I am Mesna, a Possessor and now that you have vanquished Cethin, I will control you!" Mesna rushed towards me with the speed of a freight train. I raised my keyblade, but it was too late. I fell to my knees and, once again, I began to experience the feeling of death.

* * *

"Be gone foul creature!"

'That voice,' I thought to myself, 'I know that voice. It's… that old man.'

I felt as if a battle were raging within me. I could feel myself jerking around, but I couldn't see a thing.

"You cannot shun me from him, Aros. I cannot be purged until his body dies."

"Get out of my head, Mesna!" I began to fight him with my mind. His hold was powerful, but I felt I would win.

"Axel, do not resist! You will destroy yourself!" The old man, who's name I now knew was Aros, said.

"No! I have to fight it!" I replied.

"Axel! No!!!"

Those were the last words I heard.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I awoke with a pounding headache. I couldn't complain, though. At least I was alive. I looked around to see if I could gather where I was at, but to no avail. I was in some kind of pale white room. No windows and no doors, just white as far as the eye could see.

I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and I instantly sprang to my feet, summoning my keyblade as I went. "Who's there?" I called out.

"Do not be frightened," I turned around to see if I could locate the source of the voice. Nothing. "This prison will only detain you for a while longer."

"I want out now!" I said. My life had become a mess over the past few days and now it seemed to be at its peak. I had lost all of the C.o.K., including my dad and Lior, Cethin turned out to be a pawn in Mesna's plan to control me, and now this freaking white light was making my headache even worse! I sat down hard (not a good idea when you have a headache) and put my head in my hands. All I wanted was my life back, but instead I kept getting farther away from it.

After what seemed like hours, I looked up and realized that the light was fading. The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the steps leading into the castle. I stood up and looked around. Everything was still black as night. I sighed, wishing that this whole ordeal was simply a dream. Suddenly, a man appeared next to me. It was Aros, the old man who had helped me after my first encounter with Cethin.

"I bet you wish that this was all a dream, don't you?" He asked me.

I simply nodded in reply.

"We have much to talk about, but first, let us return to my house."

He turned to exit the courtyard and I followed. After walking a ways, he turned to me and held up his hand in the universal "stop" gesture. Suddenly, the Aros' house appeared around us as if out of thin air. I quickly found a chair and sat down, weary from the weeks events.

"You said that we have much to talk about," I said. Aros nodded. "Well, I have some questions that I want answered."

"And I will answer them to the best of my ability." He replied.

I thought for a moment. "Who is Mesna?" I asked.

"Mesna is a Possessor. A Possessor comes into existence when a Nobody returns to his former self just as Roxas returned to Sora. The memory of that Nobody then turns into a Possessor, a creature with the ability to take control of any being he desires. Unfortunately, he desired to take control of you, the new keyblade master."

"What can he do to me?" I asked.

"A Possessor, if left unchecked, can control your thoughts and actions. That's exactly what he did to poor Cethin and what he would've done to you, had I not stopped him."

"How exactly did you stop him?"

"I sealed him into the depths of your heart. The only way he will be able to control you is if you give in to your anger and hatred. If that happens, it will be very difficult to shut him out again without killing you, and nearly impossible to do without harming you in some way."

I nodded as I took in everything he said. After thinking things over, I asked him one last question. "What happened to Lior when Cethin shot the dark orb at her?"

"She was sent into the distant worlds. Not worlds that are far off by means of time, mind you, but worlds that have yet to be discovered. I have not come across any of these worlds in my travels, but I do know a way to reach them.

Aros paused and then continued. "There is something else you should know, Axel. When Cethin destroyed Lior, her heart was released. Had he not been killed at that very moment, he would have received her power, but since you were the only living being present, you received the use of her keyblade. This is a good thing, because when you find her, you will need to return her keyblade to her, or else she will never wake from her slumber. Also, since Cethin was the destroyer of the other members of the C.o.K., their hearts will wander in space until their bodies are returned to the near worlds."

My face lit up with excitement. "You mean, I might still be able to save them?" I asked with excitement in my voice.

"It is quite possible. Remember, though, there is no telling what you will find in the distant worlds and it is quite possible that you won't be able to return. Are you sure you wish to continue on this quest?"

I stood up from my seat, eager with anticipation. "Of course I do! Besides my mom, I'm the only keyblade master left! It's my duty to save the worlds from the Heartless or any other force that threatens them!" What happened next surprised even me. I began to glow white. Aros looked at me with an expression of shock on his face. After a few minutes of this, it stopped.

"What was that?!" I asked

Even Aros looked puzzled. "I don't know, but I will dedicate my time to finding out. In the mean time, you'd best be getting to work. You need to find the keyhole in this world. Through that, you should be able to gain access to the distant worlds."

"Got it!" I turned quickly and ran out the door.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

'**Finding the keyhole was going to be easier than I thought.' I thought to myself as I ran towards the castle. I discovered that my keyblade glowed brighter the closer I got to the keyhole.**

**It took me nothing but a few minutes to make it to the castle gates where I was met by two Neoshadows. It was much harder to fight without unleashing my rage, but I managed. Now I turned around and saw Cethin standing in front of me. My mouth dropped open. "Cethin! I thought you were dead!" Cethin stood there and summoned his keyblade. Now that Mesna didn't possess him, his keyblade had returned to what I assumed was its normal form, considering the fact that it was much lighter than Oblivion. **

"**I can't let you leave the near worlds, Axel," Cethin said to me in a commanding voice. "You would bring trouble on us all." Now he ran towards me with his keyblade raised to attack. I summoned my keyblade and raised it into a blocking position just as his key came bearing down on me. I pushed back and swung my key at his mid section, missing by just centimeters as he leapt away from me. Now I ran forward, careful to keep my anger in check, and unleashed a flurry of blows on him. Cethin blocked most of them, but the last made contact. Now Cethin jumped over me and landed directly behind me. Cethin swung is key at my head and I rolled behind him issuing a counterattack that successfully met its mark. Cethin dropped his key and knelt to the ground, defeated.**

"**You don't know what you're doing, Axel," He said urgently as I strolled past him towards the gate. "If you unlock the keyhole, this entire world will be pulled into the distant galaxy." I dismissed his warning and kept walking. Cethin stood up. "Fine," He said as he held up his hand. A dark orb began to fly towards me. I turned and swung my key at it and sent it hurtling back towards Cethin, who just stood there. The orb made contact with him and he completely disappeared. **

**I turned back towards the gate and saw that the keyhole had appeared between the two gate posts during my skirmish. 'Well, this makes things much easier.' I thought as I raised my key to unlock it. I successfully unlocked the keyhole and it began to pull the entire world of Disney Castle into it. 'Cethin was right!' I thought to myself as I began to be pulled through the hole into the blackness of space. I summoned my key and quickly thrust it into the ground to use as a foothold. I watched as huge chunks of the world were pulled in one at a time. I saw the castle get pulled up from the ground like it was a flower on a spring day. That had crushed any hope of actually being left behind. Finally, my chunk broke free and began sailing towards the keyhole. All I could do was hope that Aros had been right about this being the way to the distant worlds. Of course, I'd already lost my life. What difference would death make?**

* * *

**The End… of book 1. **

**At this time, I will be returning to my work on "Star Wars: Remnant". When that is finished, I will return with "Kingdom Hearts: The Council of Keys: Book 2".**


End file.
